Difficult Past, Promising Future
by livinlifejb
Summary: House and Wilson's history in a nut shell. AU towards the end. House/Wilson rated-pg 16 Angst/Hurt/Comfort/Friendship/Romance


A.N: Ok so what i've done here is House and Wilson's history in a nutshell. I've omitted the Tritter crap because it pisses me off. so yes not every detail or happening in written that would take too long. It does switch to AU towards the end. i hope you like it.

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Wilson remembers the first time he had sex with Gregory House. It was twenty plus years ago at the medical conference in Louisiana. He had been arrested for vandalism and was sitting in his cell. A tall scruffy looking man had posted his bail, and had taken him back to his hotel. "Why would someone bail a complete stranger out of jail?" Wilson wondered. He wondered how he could possibly return this unconditional kindness, unless…it had really been conditional after all. Gregory House had been sitting on the sofa in the room watching some nature show, when he came over and turned it off. "You know it's not polite to turn off the TV when someone's watching" the older man said. Without a word, Wilson knelt down between his legs and began to undo House's zipper. He was nervous and shaking. "What do you think you're doing?" House asked. "Repaying you" Wilson responded flatly. "You think that's why I bailed you out? Because I wanted a cheap fuck?" House asked rather offended. "It's okay really, I want to" Wilson said as he took the length into his mouth and sucked hard. He hadn't expected a simple thank you blowjob would evolve into a night of passionate sex with a man he didn't know. It was complicated with House then, it's complicated now.

Wilson never expected that the man he slept with two decades ago would end up being best friends with him. It became clear to him that House had completely forgotten, or chose to forget that night. Wilson however, never forgot. There was a connection between them that night, something he felt that never went away. That's probably why his marriages never lasted. Then the infarction hit and changed everything. The Greg House he knew died and something else was born. A misanthrope who hated himself and the rest of the world. Wilson now carried around deep feelings for the changed man as well as guilt for being part of what ruined his life. But yet, their friendship remained intact all these years. House in his own way had made it clear that he needed Wilson in his life. It seemed that they could survive anything. Then years later something happened to them that would once again change everything…Amber Volakis. House had been jealous, envious and angry at the woman who had taken Wilson away from him. He tried his hardest to break them up. He realized that he couldn't win against this female clone of himself and settled for joint custody of the oncologist, as sad as that was. House had pointed out the fact that amber was no more than a version of House that Wilson could have. Wilson never denied this fact. What House didn't know and never found out was that Amber had never had the intention of removing Wilson from his life. She understood the complexity of there friendship, but tried to make it clear that she was not second to House but his equal in regards to James Wilson. Then it happened, a series of unfortunate events.

House had gone out drinking because he felt he had lost his friend to the blond bane of his existence. He had called Wilson for a ride, to drunk to remember that Wilson was on night shift. It was Amber that showed up at the bar to pick up the drunken mess that was House. "What are you doing here? I called Wilson" House stated meanly. "He's busy" she told him flatly. "Thanks" he told her. "I'm not doing this for you, I'm doing it for him" she stated almost like she care. She knew that if something happened to this man before her, that Wilson might be able to handle it. She also didn't want some pathetic mass for a boyfriend. They had waited for the city bus to arrive, and when it did they boarded and rode without a word. Nothing more than an equal understanding that neither of them would be leaving Wilson's life anytime soon. What happened next, neither of them could have predicted. A horrible crash that for some reason ultimately left House alive. He tried his hardest to save her; he did it for Wilson's sake because it would make him happy. Wilson had asked him to do an extremely dangerous brain stimulation procedure in order to try and figure out what was wrong with her, which almost resulted in House's death. In the end, there was nothing they could have done to save her. Sure it had been house's fault she was on the bus. What killed her in the end was a small pill that was meant to make her healthy. She passed away in Wilson's arms. Wilson understood the cause of death. He wanted to hate House for it, wanted to blame it all on him. When he went to go see the older man in his hospital bed, something snapped inside him. He looked at him and House looked back. It occurred to him that he had almost killed his best friend for a woman he knew for only a few months. How could he have been so selfish, so blinded that he was willing to risk killing House. He had to leave.

He did eventually and House confronted him about it. House believed that he was leaving because of Amber's death. He was way off. Wilson was leaving because he couldn't look at House without remember that he had almost killed him and lost him forever. The guilt was too much; he felt the only way to move on was to leave House's life. He had to sever the ties that bonded them by telling House that they were never friends. He left for two months, attended support groups, tried to move on with life. He had been seen by Cuddy, House's team but not the man himself. One day House had shown up at the apartment to try and talk to him. Well rather he brought a case with him in hopes that Wilson would at least just talk. Wilson could see the desperation in his eyes, the wanting the missing. If he gave into it he would be trapped. Closing the door on House was one of the hardest things he's ever had to do. However a life without his best friend was worse than moving on, but he refused to give up.

It wasn't until he received a call from House's mother telling him the man's dad had died and would he bring House to the funeral. He didn't know why he had accepted; maybe he was happy about seeing House again even given the situation. On the way there, House had gotten the two of them arrested in attempt to not attend the service. It was at this police station that the cop asked how the two men knew each other. As House told the story it was then that Wilson realized he had let himself forget, and that House never had forgotten. This made him…happy. The funeral was the first and only time he'd seen House close to or actually crying, and it hurt him. Wilson had realized that removing himself from House had been the worst thing to do. When they arrived back at the hospital, Wilson had admitted that he hasn't had that much fun in a while. It was clear to him, he was coming back. However, things had changed, not he same fondness or familiarity. House still felt guilty for Amber's death and causing Wilson to leave. He was humbled in regard to the oncologist. Things slowly returned to the friendship they had before. House's drug abuse had gotten worse though, and Wilson was concerned.

He was doing his paperwork one day when Cuddy had led House into his office with a solemn look on her face. House was broken, damaged by a psychotic break. Wilson had driven House to Mayfield Psychiatric Hospital to get help with his addiction and psychosis. They both got out of the car and House retrieved his bag. For a moment they looked at each other as the long unspoken words passed between them with a simple gaze. House turned and walked away toward to gloomy building. For a second Wilson knew how House had felt when he left Princeton. As he watched the doors close behind House, he wished had said something, done something, showed the older man that he truly did care, and regretted every second that he hadn't and drove back. When House was discharged his therapist told Wilson that he shouldn't live alone. Amber's apartment was not big enough for them, they needed a bigger place. They Cuddy had been acting with her boyfriend Lucas Douglas and stringing House along, Wilson decided to put her in her place by sneakily buying the condo she wanted. Wilson brought House over to the perspective loft where a look passed between them that spoke volumes, "This is _our_ home". Thing had been going well for a while, they were getting closer, bonded more, became just a little more open. House was happy to have Wilson back in his life, though he would never admit it openly. Then she came along.

Samantha Carr, Wilson's first ex-wife had somehow sleazed her way back into his life, and things were become serious. Once again House's place in Wilson's life was compromised but this time he intended to win. That was before the day that Wilson told him to move out. House was rushed by this, and did not understand how this had come to be. He of course obeyed his friend and moved back to his old apartment with old awful memories. Except an unexpected surprise…Alvie. Alive was the one person he'd befriended in the hospital, and was making himself at home in his apartment. House was both upset yet happy that he wasn't going to be completely alone. Wilson feeling he'd made a mistake went to visit House, only to find him content with alive. This devastated him. How had House managed to move on so quickly? Wilson resigned and went back to Sam. Then came the night of the Trenton crane collapse. Wilson was trapped in the ER with victims of the accident. He was unhappy that Cuddy had made House go to a disaster scene with his leg. It was there that things again would change their lives again. In the course of twenty four hours, unbeknown to Wilson, Cuddy had dumped Lucas, and admitted her unwanted but undying love for House, and they would become a couple for real this time around.

**Present Day...**

In the midst of House now being with Cuddy, Wilson didn't have the heart to burden him the news that Sam had left him. He was alone, but House was happy. After all he was with the woman he's love for a long time. Wilson wished it had been him to go to House's apartment that night. As a good friend does, he supported House and his relationship with Lisa, even though he was unhappy about it.

Wilson was unsure about how they had come to this point. House and Cuddy were over. She wanted him to be something he never would and House was miserable because he though he would never be enough for anyone. Wilson invited House to stay with him at the lonely loft, if he wanted. House hastily accepted the invitation. When they arrived an entered the loft, House's first words were, "Where's the harpy?" Wilson held back a laugh. "She's gone House" Wilson stated flatly. "What do you mean gone?" House asked confused. "She left me. It's probably what's for the best anyway" Wilson told him with depressed undertones. "Why didn't you tell me?" House asked in concerned voice, walking closer to his friend. "Didn't want to bother you and Cuddy" he said plainly. "You're an idiot" House shouted. Wilson turned from his food preparation emotionless. "And why is that?" He asked. "Because you that me being with Lisa made you unimportant to me. Little do you know I've been lonely too Wilson! She dumped me because I'm not what she wanted after all. Maybe you would have known that if you talked like you always do!" House yelled, Wilson sensing anger and incredible hurt. "I'm sorry House" was all he could say. House had come to stand only inches away from him. House bored holes into him as so much that had been left unspoken and acted upon came crashing down with a soft embrace from the older man. Wilson didn't reciprocate, just out of shock that House was hugging, he never hugged anyone.

Things continued to collapse as the soft brush of lips were felt, and tears burned. House backed away and looked at the oncologist. "You thought I forgot about that night didn't you?" House asked looking sad. Wilson was speechless. "Or maybe you thought I wanted to forget because you thought I was getting payback for bailing you out" House added. "Truth be told Wilson, I've never forgotten, never forgotten the touch, the feel of being…" he stopped himself. There was silence. "All I ever wanted was you House, no more" Wilson said walking towards a vulnerable House. "You can't choose who your friends are, nor can you choose who you love" Wilson said stopping about a foot away from House, hands in his pockets, looking down. He heard the sound of House dropping his cane and looked up, in an instant swept up by House lips on his own. The kissing was tender, desperate and needy, and it had led them into the bedroom.

House went and sat on the edge of the bed eying Wilson, pleading eyes wanting more contact. Wilson followed him cautiously, and pushed him onto his back. He slowly undid House's shirt buttons until house chest was exposed. He bent down to plant kisses on House lips, neck and collar bone. House's breathing increased with the given affection. Wilson stopped to look down at the older man, and could see tear streaks drying on his face. Here they were again, twenty plus years later and its just like the first time. Only difference was, it was two friends coming together in a way they should have long ago. It wasn't just sex this time either, but it wasn't love making either, it was something more than both but had no description or definition. When it was over and the passion had subsided it was replaced with tenderness and compassion. Wilson lay on his side, House back to him. But House had to lay flush against him, and took Wilson's arm to wrap around him. They were content, they were together, and it was just the way it was supposed to be. A comfortable silence settled and House broke it. "Wilson?" house whispered. "Yes House?" Wilson whispered back. Again silence and House turned to face Wilson. There was a concern in his eyes, and deep seated worry that could kill on the spot. "Wilson…please don't…leave again. Please don't leave me" House quietly sobbed. Wilson felt as though his heart could stop at any minute, like it was breaking already with the memories of how he had left House before. Wilson pulled him in close and tight, before whispering to him to his eyes…"Never Again".


End file.
